The Ravings of a Dead Man's Mind
by Enigma of Despair
Summary: One-shot. When Arthas is climbing to the top of the Frozen Throne, what's really happening in the Death Knight's mind as the final battle for control takes place. Rating is to be safe. R&R! NO FLAMES!


I watched in the back of my body's mind as it began the ascent to the top of the Frozen Throne... Ascension, it's a funny word, usually associated with a mortal somehow becoming a divine being... but is rarely fulfilled, I was about to witness what was likely to be the first ever fulfillment of that word's meaning... not if I could stop it.

With my last ounces of strength, I forced my other half to remember shadows of the past... friends long dead thanks to him...

"...Have you lost your mind Arthas..."

"...Stop this business, lead your men home, it's not worth it..."

"...The urn!? That urn contains you fathers ashes Arthas, have you come to piss on them one last time..."

"...Wh-what are you doing Arthas..."

"Succeeding you." Stated my body in a whisper as he heard that, yet I continued to try harder, this time using myself and those old friends still alive.

"...Ah, Jaina Proudmore..."

"...This City, and all of its occupants must be purged..."

"...Arthas, have you gone mad..."

"...Those of you who are loyal to Lordearon, with me; the rest of you get out of my sight... Jaina..."

"...I can't just watch you slaughter these people..."

'Thrust the blade into ice.'

'Complete the circle.'

I knew I was running out of time as the cavern collapsed around my body, but I still had one last card to play...

"...You lied to your men, and you betrayed the mercenaries who fought for you... what's happening to you Arthas..."

"... The land around that warehouse seems to be... dying..."

"...Lead your people across the sea, to the forgotten land of kalimdor, only there can the scourge still be fought..."

"...He who holds this blade shall wield power eternal, but just as power rends the flesh it must also scare the soul..."

"... No... I was trying to protect ... your humanity..."

It was then that I had run out of time, my body had tuned me out at this point see there was no reason to continue. As my body swung the blade towards the ice, I made one last ditch attempt, I attempted to force the blade to miss and chop my body in half with the force behind the blow. I failed, it was then that I realized the full extent of what I had done, I had sealed the fate of the planet by taking that sword from it's pedestal, that day, I had sealed the fate of Muradin, Uther, Jaina, The knights of the Silver Hand, my father, and countless others... I could have changed everything, by merely not taking that blade... but it was too late now. As my body stooped down to pick up the helmet of the Lich King, which had fallen at his feet, I realized that my conscience was about to be snuffed out... I was just another pawn to the Lich King when it all started winding down... As my soul was expelled from my body, I saw the thousands of lives destroyed at my hands, spectral images... biding me welcome to the inner circle of hell... As my soul was sucked into the pit, fate intervened... the spectral energy let off by the Lich King when he attained possession of his new body knocked me out of the pit just as it closed... fate had never been kind to me...and this was the worst it could do. Replace about 10,000 years of suffering and, eventually, eternal rest, with an eternity doomed to wander the Earth, I cast one final look at the Frozen Throne before heading off on my journey. As I began wandering off I noticed that kael was still alive... but barely... as he sputtered his last breath... he turned his head towards me and gasped, what a horrible way to die, with the spectral image of the one who killed you burned forever into your conscience... it was moments like these that made me wish that fate had let me serve my 10,000 years in place of this... this was what fate did to those who deserved not even hell's inner-most ring... eternal boredom, wandering through the world aimlessly knowing that you can not interfere with anything, even if you tried. That was my fate... a fate worse than hell for the one who had brought hell itself to the realm of mortal men...


End file.
